The Tyranny of Pop Music

[MrGongGong]

Indeed, and judging by the information contained in the article Metallic may well have been used as one of the main torture instruments.

Metallic?
What on earth are you on about?

There's not much "information" in the article.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Metallic?
What on earth are you on about?

I think he means Iron Maiden?

[Lat-Literal]

With reference to the OP and an open question, how is this music a tyranny?

Is it because it exists or it is not sufficiently marginalised or something else?

[P. G. Tipps]

Metallic?
What on earth are you on about?

Can't you spot a deliberate typo when you see one, just like ahinton?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

With reference to the OP and an open question, how is this music a tyranny?
Is it because it exists or it is not sufficiently marginalised or something else?

It is a "tyranny" in the imagination of Mr Scruton - and in that environment, it's probably better not to investigate the nature of what this "tyranny" might consist.

[Lat-Literal]

It is a "tyranny" in the imagination of Mr Scruton - and in that environment, it's probably better not to investigate the nature of what this "tyranny" might consist.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

With reference to the OP and an open question, how is this music a tyranny?

The music itself isn't tyrannical. The problem as I see it is that it has taken over to such an extent that classical music has ceased to exist for a huge section of the population.

[alycidon]

The music itself isn't tyrannical. The problem as I see it is that it has taken over to such an extent that classical music has ceased to exist for a huge section of the population.

But surely, classical music never existed in the first place for much of the population. Those whom I have met in my long life lead me to believe that classical music is not something that they understand, still less wish to engage with, and not necessarily because pop music has eclipsed other genres, including classical.

When I was at school in the early fifties, the number of fellow-pupils who showed any interest at all in classical music could be counted on one hand. There were, of course, certain compositions that did appeal to most of them - William Tell Overture, Grieg Piano Concerto, Planets Suite, etc, but I doubt very much that many of them would have gone on to enjoy classical music in later life.

[ahinton]

It has been very interesting.

I think I am sensing not for the first time a huge gap between the social liberal and the economic libertarian.

Anyways, best wishes to you.

Funnily enough, you are probably less small "c" conservative in instinct than I am and more a sort of radical!

Thank you and best wishes to you too. I cannot coment about "conservatism", small or large "c", on my part, but the "huge gap" that you mention is not one that I can perceive as being directly pertinent to the thread discussion and if that's because of my own personal density I can only apologise.

[ahinton]

Oh I do not deny that piped music is best composed as such, and if people do not like certain music they still will not like it even if its on quietly, but the quieter it gets the less intrusive it gets the less impact it has whether you like or disslike the piece. I cannot see that as being incorrect because the further away music sounds, the less you are hearing.

It might be "best composed as such" if indeed is has to exist at all - but it isn't, in practical reality.

Actually, if I did not continually keep adjusting the volumes on Radio 3, such big musical forces as orchestras and choral music would sound like piped music to me. I tried it earlier, I had the presenter at a nice volume so that I could hear her clearly, then when a big orchestral piece came on I did not turn the volume up and I just could not hear it properly. I could hear the loud parts, but they had no power, and the quiet passages, although audible were just too quiet to have as much impact. The nuances of each individual instrument when playing solo as part of the orchestral piece was lost to me, I wanted to hear that violin properly, not just hear it, but hear it as clearly as I could hear the presenter's voice.

Listening via radio is not the only way to listen to music being performed by musicians and, in any case, when listening is done that way, so very much - and by no menas just the volume issue - is dependent upon the equipment being used for that purpose.

Oh ta very much, and I will overlook you missing out the capitals in your proper name …. AHinton.

Missing where? Who really cares? Would you really prefer that I rename myself with those capitals for the sole purpose of forum membership and, even if so, does that really matter as much as the Wagner spelling to which I drew attention and would it in any case make any diffeence to what I post here or how you might react thereto?

[ahinton]

I think he means Iron Maiden?

Rusty Unmarried Woman, you mean?(!)...

[ahinton]

With reference to the OP and an open question, how is this music a tyranny?

Is it because it exists or it is not sufficiently marginalised or something else?

I don't think that anyone has actually suggested that the music itself is a tyranny but that its use in public and other spaces where members of the public might find themselves who've not actually asked for it may be thought of as one.

[ahinton]

Can't you spot a deliberate typo when you see one, just like ahinton?

Oh, so I've been consigned to mere typgraphical status now, have I? I'm quite sure that I'll get over it (if I've not already done so)!...

[french frank]

With reference to the OP and an open question, how is this music a tyranny?

OED 'Is it not absolute and unlimited Sovereignty,..which we from the Greeks call Tyranny?'

'Sovereignty' being a 'supreme power'

[ahinton]

OED 'Is it not absolute and unlimited Sovereignty,..which we from the Greeks call Tyranny?'

'Sovereignty' being a 'supreme power'

..and no one, including Mr Scruton, appears to have sought to ascribe such to the kinds of thing against which he inveighs, at least as far as I can tell...